Dante's Dilemma
by ProLiferChelle
Summary: This story takes place about six years after "Another World" ended, so Dante would be about nine years old. Characters not invented by me are the property of Procter and Gamble Productions. Please note that this story is completely separate from "One Careless Moment (formerly "Never the Same") , although guilt is an element of both stories.
1. Chapter 1

"Think about it, Dante," said Robbie, the biggest boy in the group. "It's not every kid your age who gets asked to join our club."  
"In fact, NO kid your age has been invited," added a boy called Chuck.  
A third boy, whose name was David, put in, "And we're just asking you to do what we ALL had to do before we could join."

Meanwhile, at the 23rd Precinct, Dante's father, Captain Joe Carlino, was having a serious conversation with Bay City's fire chief, Ted Conroy.  
"I guarantee you, " Joe said, "you'll have the complete co-operation of my department. "  
"Thanks, Joe."  
"Hey, I want to put a stop to these false alarms as much as you do," Joe answered.

####

"Make up your mind, Dante," Robbie said. "Do you want to be in the club or don't you?"

"Sure I do, but..." j

"But what?" challenged another boy. "Are you afraid you'll get caught? We've done this lots of times, and nobody ever caught us."

####

"I'm starting to think it may be some kids turning in these alarms," Ted Conroy said.

"If it _does _turn out to be kids," Joe said, "then the two of us need to talk to them, _and _to their parents."  
He added silently to himself , "Thank God I don't have to worry about Dante getting involved with something like this."

###

Three blocks away, as the older boys watched him, Dante reached up and pulled the alarm.


	2. Chapter 2

"I heard the fire engines again this afternoon," Paulina said at supper that night. "Was it another false alarm?"  
Joe sighed. "Yes, Blue Eyes, but this time it was much worse. While the fire department was responding to that  
false alarm, a real fire broke out on the other side of town, and a house was completely destroyed."

"Whose house was it?" Paulina asked.

"The Petersons"

Dante stopped eating. "Was anybody hurt?" he managed to ask.

"No, son," Joe answered, "nobody was home at the time, thank God."  
"Eric Peterson is in my class," Dante said. "We're friends." He looked at his father. "Dad, is... is the person  
(he had almost said "boy") who turned in the false alarm to blame... for the Petersons losing their home?"

"Yes, Dante, at least partly. But I promise you, we will find out who has been turning in those alarms, and they  
will be punished."

"But just remember," Paulina added, "that even if there hadn't been a real fire, and even if that house hadn't been  
destroyed, what that person or those people did was still just as wrong."

"We're just so thankful to know that you would never be involved in anything like that," Joe said.

Those words, that praise, made Dante feel worse than he had ever felt in his life. He had never heard the phrase

"Coals of fire," but if he had, he would at that moment have understood it perfectly.

He couldn't tell his Mom and Dad the truth. He just couldn't. Not now.

But how could he keep it from them? Wasn't that almost the same thing as lying?

###


	3. Chapter 3

Dante's fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Pollard, stood at the front of the classroom, as she had so many times before. This time, however,  
the smile her pupils had come to know and love was not there.

"Boys and girls," she began, "we have something sad to talk about."

A blackhaired, blue-eyed girl who sat behind Dante raised her hand.

"Yes, Melissa?"

"Is it about Eric Peterson's house burning to the ground?"

"Yes," Ms. Pollard said, "it is. But it could have been so much worse. Nobody was hurt in that fire, and Eric will be back with us.  
Now, we are not allowed to pray out loud in school, but I think we can pause for a minute and give thanks quietly."

After a brief pause, Ms. Pollard went on., "Now, class, we have something very serious to discuss. Eric's house burned down  
because the fire department couldn't get there in time. They were on the other side of town, responding to a false alarm."

Dante felt as if he were choking.

"Now, I think we should all make a pledge," Ms. Pollard said. "Children, repeat after me, please, and put in your own name where  
I put mine in. Ready?"

"Yes, Ms. Pollard," chorused the class.

"All right. _I, Amelia Pollard _(each child put in his or her own name) _do solemnly pledge that I will never turn in a false alarm_ (Dante mentally

added the word "again.") _and that I will report anyone I see turning in a false alarm, even if by doing so I lose a friend._"

"Now, I think we should get on with our work," said Ms. Pollard. "Yes, Dante?"

"Ms. Pollard, Eric's family lost everything they had. Is there any way we could help them?"

"Do you have anything in mind?" Ms. Pollard asked.

"Yes, Ms. Pollard. How about if we give them some of our own things?"

"That's a wonderful suggestion."

"And," Dante went on, "I think we should have a fund, and... give part of our allowances to help them."

"There are organizations for that," a boy named Marty pointed out.

"I know there are," Dante retorted, "but if I lost all my stuff, I'd rather have it replaced by my friends than  
by some organization."

"I guess I can give some old stuff I have," Melissa said.

"Would you want just some old junk?" Dante asked. "I'm going to give some of my _best _things, and _all_ of my allowance for the  
next two months."

"That's very generous of you, Dante," Ms. Pollard remarked.

"No, it isn't," Dante thought. "I OWE it to them."

####

At recess, Melissa walked over to Dante and said, "I want to talk to you... alone."

"What about?"

"How come you're giving the Peterson's your allowance for two whole months?"

"I just want to, that's all."

"Really?" Melissa challenged.

"Really," Dante answered.

"Why?"

"Because," Dante said, "I feel bad for Eric and his family."

"We all do, but nobody else is giving ALL their allowances AND their best things."

"Well, that's what I'm going to do, anyway," said Dante.

"You know what I think?" Melissa asked.

"What?"

"I don't think you're doing all that because you are _generous_. I think you are doing it because you feel _guilty_. I think YOU  
are the one who turned in that false alarm!"


End file.
